


Stonewaller - Hoodie X Reader

by JoJoTalia, Poison_Cherub



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: Abduction, Angst, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Romance, F/M, Kidnapping, Lima Syndrome, Manipulative Relationship, Mental Institutions, Murder, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Electroconvulsive Therapy, Slow Burn, Starvation, Stockholm Syndrome, Torture, Vomiting, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:14:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29542899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoJoTalia/pseuds/JoJoTalia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poison_Cherub/pseuds/Poison_Cherub
Relationships: Brian Thomas | Hoody/Reader, Hoody (Creepypasta)/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

The armored squad car was silent while they prepared to escort the convicted murderer into the asylum, but as soon as the vehicle door opened all hell broke loose. Flashes of light blinded the man in handcuffs while he was dragged towards the stone steps. Out of the short lapses of sight he had between camera flashes he could see crowds of news reporters on each side of him thrusting microphones towards his face, shooting question after question until all their voices bled together into one chaotic hum. The two heavily armed police officers on each side of him pressed through the crowd harshly, shoving reporters out of the way and dragging the man along and up the cracked stone steps, then walking down a fifty-foot cement path past the tall black rod iron fence. The reporters weren’t allowed past the gate thankfully, but that didn’t alleviate any stress of the apprehended man.

Three months ago, Brian Thomas was captured and taken into custody after being surrounded in the city several blocks away from a mass shooting on a college campus. He was drenched in the blood of his victims, and the bullet casings on the scene matched those of the gun that was on his person. There was a plethora evidence proving that he hadn’t acted alone, but due to strange circumstances they rushed to convict him so he could face justice in the form of a life sentence in an asylum for the criminally insane. What were the strange circumstances? From the moment Brian Thomas was taken into custody, he refused to utter a word. Medical examiners discovered that he wasn’t mute, but simply chose to never speak. No matter what he was threatened with, his voice never left his mouth. And so, the court deemed him mentally unfit for a fair trial. Until he was at least mentally stable enough to talk, his case would wait to be reopened. Until then, he would reside in Aurora Valley Psychiatric Institution to receive treatment.

Brian was forced through the front door of the institution, barely able to take in his surroundings before he was escorted to a barred door alongside many in a dwindling hallway. Inside was a simplistic bed with white sheets on an iron bedframe. Nearly a half hour passed, and Brian had been dressed in a cream-colored inmate’s uniform. Straps dangled loosely around his waist leading up to his chest. Using those and the sleeves that hung a couple inches past his fists, the uniform could be fastened into its straitjacket position. Thankfully, the sanatorium’s orderlies left him in his ‘room’ with the jacket undone. His hazel brown eyes stared intently at the wall as he sat on the flat but somehow simultaneously lumpy mattress.

Two women sat at a table next to the window in a large café. Patrons came and left with their drinks and food, some sitting at the booths inside and some enjoying what they bought in the seating outside. One of the women raised her sepia skinned hand to catch several black and white box braids that fell in front of her face, swiping them away to rest on her shoulder. She returned her hand to the white porcelain cup, her golden wedding band clinking against it.

“Congratulations again on getting the job, I knew you could do it babes.” The woman said to her friend sitting across the booth from her.

“Thanks Nia, I still can’t really believe that I got it. I wouldn’t think they’d give such a high-profile case to someone who just graduated though, regardless how many strings my dad had to pull. It’s my first official patient, I don’t know if I’m ready yet.”

“(Y/N), it doesn’t matter that your dad helped you get it or that it’s your first patient,” Nia reached her hand across the table and rested it on (Y/N)’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, “you just got your _what_ degrees again?” Nia asked.

“You know what I just graduated with-”

“Nope, I want you to tell me.” Nia persisted.

(Y/N) let out a sigh but played along for her best friend’s sake. “I just graduated with a Doctorate’s degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in criminology. Happy?”

“Absolutely.” She answered with a smirk, pulling her hand back and resting her chin on it. “They didn’t just _give_ you those degrees, (Y/N), you and your huge brain earned them.”

“I guess you got a point.” She responded, turning her head to look out the window, watching the waves rippling past the small boardwalk across the street. “I’m just glad I got it. If I pull this off, it’ll look great on my resume. I could get a permanent position at pretty much any actual facility I wanted.”

“Exactly, and remember that I believe in you a hundred percent. So, what do you have on the agenda for tomorrow?”

“Ugh,” (Y/N) grumbled, turning her gaze back to her friend, “some engagement party my parents are throwing for _sister-dearest_.” She said, the last bit said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Nia chuckled, “If I were you I’d just skip it.”

“Oh, believe me, if I could get away with it I would, but if I do they’ll just remind me that that’s why I’m not the favorite child and Allegra is.”

“Your parents are pricks.” Nia said, picking up her beignet and taking a bite.

“Thanks for the reminder.” (Y/N) giggled.

The two sat comfortably as they enjoyed their drinks and made small talk. Indie pop played over the speakers scattered around the café, adding to the idyllic atmosphere.

“Psst, (Y/N).” Nia whispered after a small moment of silence between them.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t look now, but you got a secret admirer staring at you from one of the tables.” Nia spoke in a hushed teasing tone, a playful smile pulling at her full lips.

“Stop messing with me.” (Y/N) returned Nia’s smile with one of her own, accompanied by a quiet laugh. Ever since they two first became friends in middle school, Nia always poked fun at her about her inability to find a partner and would playfully urge her to approach strangers in public because they were ‘totally into her’.

“Your loss; guess you’ll never know. How sad, he’s kinda cute too.” Nia continued, even adding a hint of mock pity to her voice to really sell it.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, giving in once more and sneaking a peak over her shoulder. Surprisingly, Nia hadn’t been pulling her leg. Several tables away, a man was sitting by himself and watching her. Even though he was sitting down, (Y/N) could tell he had a thick and somewhat stocky build. His dark brown, almost black, eyes staring at her. Feeling shocked to catch him staring and a teeny bit flustered at the sudden direct eye contact, she turned back in her seat to look at a satisfied Nia.

“See? I wasn’t lying.”

“Yeah, but why is he just staring at me like that?” she asked, reaching up and fidgeting absentmindedly with the collar of her baby blue sweater.

Nia murmured a noise sounding like ‘I don’t know’, “Probably is just checking you out.”

“Ew.” (Y/N) made a face betraying her discomfort.

“ _This_ is why you can’t get a boyfriend.” Nia resumed her playful teasing.

“Whatever. He isn’t my type anyways.” (Y/N) brushed off, “are you almost done? I kinda wanna pay and get out of here now.”

“Yeah, we can head out if you want.” The two began gathering their things, (Y/N) picking up her white faux leather purse and Nia slipping on her green denim jacket. “Oh hey, I’ll cover this if you drive on our way back to your place.”

(Y/N) rose an eyebrow, “Seems too easy, what’s the catch?”

Nia laughed, her honey-like voice almost a little too loud for the public space, “Have some trust in me! There’s no catch, I just want to snap a few pics of the sunset since it’s golden hour so I can post it on my socials.”

“Alright then, deal. I’ll meet you at the car.”

“Great, thanks!”

The two got up and left their booth, Nia heading to the front counter while (Y/N) made her way to the parked black Chevrolet Camaro. She waited next to the driver’s door since Nia had the keys. She watched the hypnotizing waves again, how they reflected the golden and orange sky. A gentle warm breeze rushed by, carrying the scents of different types of foods from the different restaurants lining the street. Finally, Nia emerged from the front doors of the café, rushing out to join her friend at the car. She tossed (Y/N) the keys and both of the women got in. The ride home wasn’t anything noteworthy, just more small talk between the close friends as (Y/N) drove and Nia took pictures from the back seat. She pulled the car up to the curb in front of her apartment complex before stepping out to let Nia climb into the seat.

“Thanks for covering it today, I’ll pay the next time we go out.” (Y/N) chirped, leaning on Nia’s car and talking to her through the rolled down window.

“Psh, don’t worry about it. Good luck tomorrow at the party. If your family gets to be too much just shoot me a text.”

“Thanks Nia, let me know when you get home safe.”

“Will do!” Nia smiled, waving at (Y/N) and pulling off.

(Y/N) didn’t wait any longer to go inside, the sun had almost gone down all the way and the summer night breeze was slowly turning too chilly for the sweater and jean shorts she was wearing. She sped walked into the lobby of the apartment building, greeting the security guard before entering the elevator. Before she knew it, she was already setting her purse down on the tv stand next to the front door of her apartment. (Y/N) took off her shoes, feeling the plush off-white carpet beneath her feet, and pulled the opaque glass sliding door to the side revealing her bedroom. She stepped up to her dresser, looking at the mirror hanging off the wall above it. She took in her appearance, some of her makeup smudged after the day and her hair slightly standing up after the breeze hit it.

Her eyes trailed off to the birthday card propped up on the dresser, an illustration of a cherry blossom tree on the cover. It was something Nia gave to her for her recent twenty-sixth birthday, and although the card was beautiful itself, (Y/N) cherished it because of the encouraging paragraph written inside. She reached to next to the card, dragging the (F/C) colored planner across the dresser’s surface towards her. Flipping through the page, she stopped on the one belonging to the current day. She went down the checklist, glad to see that the majority of the things listed had been done. Until she came across the line at the very bottom of the page.

She whispered a curse under her breath, glancing over to the alarm clock on her bedside table to check the time. It was only ten at night, but it still seemed too late to her. She nearly jogged back out to the living room, fishing through her purse and pulling out her cellphone. Hoping Nia was already home, she rung her phone, hoping she’d pick up.

“Hey, what’s up?” Nia answered.

“So, I totally messed up, I forgot to get something for my sister for tomorrow. I was wondering if I could buy something off you?” Nia was (Y/N)’s best bet, the woman ran her own jewelry shop, so she was bound to have something good.

“Totally, I think I got just the thing. I’m almost at my house, I’ll grab it and drop it off at your place.”

“You sure you don’t want me to go over there and get it from you? I don’t want to be a hassle.”

“You’re not hassling me at all, (Y/N). Plus, I was gonna grab something anyways and head back out to grab some groceries so it’s not like I’m going out of my way.”

“Thank you so much, you’re a life saver! How much do I owe you for it?”

“Thirty bucks, I’ll be there in twenty. See you then!”

(Y/N) hung up, sighing out in relief. It may have seemed like a small thing to panic over, but to (Y/N) making a small mistake around her family felt like an ant under a magnifying glass, at the mercy of the child trying to direct the sunlight to burn it. That was the story of her life. Ever since she could remember, she lived in her older sister’s, Allegra, shadow. The entirety of her childhood and adolescence was filled with trying to measure up, trying her best to meet the mark so that her parents would spare her even the smallest of their attention and affections. Even going as far as joining a program and overworking herself to the point of exhaustion to graduate from high school at sixteen. But since Allegra won the position of Prom Queen just a week prior, (Y/N)’s parents hardly batted an eye at her accomplishment.

She spent years chasing, like a dog chasing its tail but never catching it. Even now, as a twenty-six-year-old woman, she still yearned to be noticed. Her parents pressured her to excel academically to maintain their upper-class image, but when she lived up to their almost unrealistic expectations, she was never rewarded. It was a deep wound for her, festering for as long as she could remember. It caused her to seek for the love she was denied in less-than-ideal people. It inhibited her ability to sense toxic relationships, leading to a trail of events where she was taken advantage of by manipulators who convinced her they loved her.

It was a dark thing to happen to anybody, but it was what pushed (Y/N) to pursue psychology, to learn about what people to protect herself from. A few more years down the road, and (Y/N) began learning about criminology. She understood that many people who went on to break the law had messy backgrounds, messier than hers. She wanted to help them; she knew she could never ‘fix’ someone, but she wanted to at least aid them.

The sound of a couple knocks rapping themselves of the front door brought (Y/N) from her thoughts, quickly peeking through the peephole and opening the door for Nia.

“Ta-da! Here it is.” Nia stepped inside, handing (Y/N) a box wrapped in pastel pink paper and tied with a slighter darker pink ribbon.

“You even wrapped it?”

“Yeah, because I know you can’t.” Nia teased, sticking out her tongue which revealed the small piercing on it.

“So, what is it?” (Y/N) asked, setting the gift on the tv stand next to purse so she wouldn’t forget it tomorrow morning.

Nia pulled out her cellphone, whispering a ‘one sec’ while she scrolled through her picture gallery. “This is it.” She angled the phone, pointing it at (Y/N) so she could see it. It was a beautiful pastel apricot colored jewelry box, with three drawers and a compartment built into the top to set rings. “The top is for rings, middle has foam slots to hold earrings, and the bottom is for miscellaneous stuff like pins or broaches. The sides also swing out with six hooks total to hold bracelets.”

“Wow… all hail Nia.” (Y/N) laughed in surprise, “This is magnificent, she’s going to love it I’m sure. Here’s the money by the way.” she handed her friend three ten-dollar bills.

“Pleasure doing business with you Hun, those things are probably the highest rated jewelry boxes I have in stock. People love ‘em.”

“No wonder, they’re gorgeous. I definitely owe you big time, you really got me out of a jam.”

“No problem, I’m more than happy to help.” Nia reached out, giving (Y/N) a big hug for a moment, and pulled away. “I gotta run now before the store closes but let me know how she likes it.”

“I’m sure she will, have a good trip and be safe.”

The two finished their goodbyes, and (Y/N) shut the door. Figuring that she wasn’t hungry, (Y/N) skipped dinner and went straight to her nightly routine. She brushed her teeth and hopped into the shower, coming out and drying her body and hair off. She lounged on the couch, watching an episode of her favorite show until her eyelids grew heavy. She decided it was time for bed then, and set an alarm on her phone before plugging it in and crawling into her bed and getting comfortable under the covers, drifting to sleep.


	2. Chapter One

Sunlight flooded the room through the window above my bed’s wooden headboard. The sound of my alarm going off, disturbing the otherwise peaceful morning. I turned on my stomach, shoving my face deeper into the pillow. The alarm kept going off, and I knew sooner or later I’d piss my neighbors off if I didn’t shut it up. With a soft groan I sat up and gently swiped the screen, silencing the alarm for the morning. I just sat there for a moment, letting my consciousness catch up with my body and breathing deeply. With a final rub of my eyes, I slid out of the bed, careful to not let the covers touch the ground. My oversized black sweatshirt hung around my waist, hiding my gray underwear. My gray lounge socks felt like I was walking on a fuzzy blanket as I treaded into the bathroom.

I turned on the sink, brushing my teeth, exfoliating, and doing a final wash. I grabbed a white towel hanging off the shower curtain rod, using it to pat my face dry. It made me feel much more awake and ready for the day. Walking back to my room and picking up my phone, I saw it was 8:30, still about an hour and a half until the party started. I ate a quick breakfast before heading back into my room and throwing on a (F/C) colored wrap dress that was form fitting in the bust, but flowy in the skirt. I wasn’t told what the dress code for the engagement party was, so this was my safest bet since it could be seen as formal or casual. I did some makeup and a little styling to my hair, deciding to not do any more than I usually did. Checking the time, I had roughly a half hour left. So, I slipped on a simple pair of black heels and a golden necklace with a star pendant, it was one of those best friend gifts where the other person had a matching one.

I walked briskly once I left my apartment, almost forgetting the gift along with my purse. So far, so good. I walked up to my silver Toyota Camry, sitting inside on the tan colored seat. The drive to my parents’ house was peaceful, not much traffic since it was almost ten in the morning on a Sunday. I rolled down my passenger window, appreciating the fresh air immensely. I just needed to calm down, there was no use to getting worked up about going over there. Just be a wallflower, otherwise something was just bound to go south. It was safer to just watch from the sidelines unless I was forced to do something otherwise.

Even as I pulled up the white two-story house, I was still planning in my head what excuse I’d use for my escape route to leave the party early. The driveway was already full as expected, but I was able to find a good spot along the curb in front that I didn’t struggle too much trying to parallel park in. I exited the car with my gift tucked safely under my arm, taking in the view of my childhood home. It looked just the same honestly; The same large green lawn, lined with different types of bushes to give the flower bed an exotic look. The same mahogany bench with black iron accents that on the cement porch. The same stereotypical welcome mat when the people who lived at the house were anything but inviting.

Deep breath. In and out.

I knocked twice, the door immediately swinging open before I could put my arm down all the way. Behind the door stood a familiar woman, my mother. She forced a smile on her lips, but it never reached her eyes, leaving them cold and piercing. She wore white slacks with a beige knit shirt beneath a white sweater. The spitting image of any other upper-class mother.

“Good morning, (Y/N). Glad to see you made it. Let me take that for you.” She held her hands out.

“Good morning, is everyone here already?” I handed her the box, following her inside and closing the front door behind me.

“There’re still some who haven’t shown up, and don’t lock the door. I’ll be having to open it again soon.”

“Got it.” I said quietly. I hadn’t been to a family gathering since last Christmas, and now it was the middle of summer. I hated how she talked to me, detached and impersonal. Like talking to someone at a business meeting.

To the left of the entrance was the dining area. A long table with a dozen chairs on each side and two chairs on each ends of the table. Some of the seats had already been filled with chatting relatives, both my own and soon-to-be in-laws. A little girl dressed up in a frilly white dress I didn’t recognize chased one of my cousin’s kids. They managed to make it halfway around the table before the girl’s dad, or who I assumed to be her dad, hauled her up into his arms and ceasing their game of tag. I smiled, watching the guests mingle from where I was leaning up against a nearby wall. My mother was still letting in a few more guests, greeting them much more enthusiastically than she had to me. I spotted my father in the living room, talking with another man. I didn’t bother saying hello to him, he would only get upset with me for interrupting whatever conversation he was having.

I had yet to see my sister, Allegra, nor the new fiancé. To be honest, I didn’t even _know_ who her fiancé was, let alone what he looked like. Maybe I had already seen him without knowing it. Seeing my father still wrapped up in his conversation and my mother playing with my cousin’s baby, I snuck out my phone and started texting Nia to pass the time.

‘ _Wish you were here. It’s more boring than I thought it’d be.’_

_‘And deal with the she-devil that’s your mom? Hard pass.’_

_‘Fair enough lol.’_

_‘When are you gonna make your great escape?’_

I thought for a moment, glancing at the time before answering, ‘ _I’ll give it an hour, try to get out of here before they start all eating lunch together and blame it on needing last minute stuff for my new job tomorrow. How’s that sound?’_

_‘Sounds great, you really are an escape artist in training huh?’_

“Hey, you mind not having your nose stuck in that thing while you’re at my party? It’s rude as hell.” An irritated woman asked me, a voice I recognized immediately.

I turned off my phone and looked up at Allegra, “Yeah, got it.” I fought the urge to roll my eyes already.

We sat in silence for a few solid beats, just looking at each other uncomfortably. We weren’t as good at creating a façade that we enjoyed each other’s presence like my parents could with me. I decided to break the ice first.

“Uhm, I like your dress. It’s pretty.” It wasn’t a lie necessarily; it was red with an asymmetrical skirt with a lace bodice. 

She hummed in reply, “Thanks, can’t say the same to you though.”

I bit my lip, making sure my face stayed one of indifference. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me even a little upset, not this time. She sat there, smirking evilly, waiting for me to make any kind of gesture that I heard her. When she saw that I was just ignoring her, her smile faded with a roll of her eyes. She walked away, and I sighed in relief. That was just like Allegra, looking to start a fight even at her own engagement party.

I hid in the bathroom, texting Nia about the mishap. Looking at the time on my phone, I noticed that I had been hiding away for at least fifteen minutes. I didn’t want to risk being scolded over locking myself in the bathroom for the entire event, so I quickly rinsed my hands and left the safety of the bathroom.

“Ah, (Y/N). I hadn’t seen you yet, I thought you didn’t show up.” A deep booming voice said to my right.

I whipped around, startled a little at the sudden noise addressing me, but the panic didn’t go away after I saw it was my father who spoke. “Right, sorry about that. I saw you talking to someone when I showed up but didn’t want to intervene.”

He let out a hum, “This is Allegra fiancé by the way, Markus.” He introduced the man standing next to him who I had failed to notice at first.

Markus was practically the same height as my father, with dark brown hair and even darker brown eyes. “Nice to meet you (Y/N), it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your sister has told me so much about you.” He had an equally charismatic voice, polite but firm.

“All good things I hope.” My response got a chuckle out of him.

My mother appeared from nowhere, my baby cousin still resting on her hip, and tapped on my father’s shoulder. “Hon, could you come help with something in the kitchen? It’s almost time for lunch and we need to get the rest of the food ready for the buffet.”

“Ah of course, you two can get to know each other better. I’ll be right back.” Father gave Markus a firm handshake and followed Mother around the corner.

“So, how long have you and Allegra known each other?”

“We’ve known each other for a few years, but we got together in February, and well, I guess you could say we just clicked.”

I inwardly winced, getting married in less than six months together? That was a red flag if I ever saw one. But I acted happy, for my sake more than anything else.

“Glad to hear it, you two seem like a good match for each other.”

He hardly had a chance to thank me before Allegra slid to his side, wrapping her arms around one of his and hugging it tightly; glaring at me with a smile that only held malice the entire time. Did she think I was trying to hit on him? Thanks, but no thanks.

“It’s looks like you two finally met.” Allegra stated the obvious. Maybe her soon-to-be husband hadn’t picked up on her warning tone yet, but as someone who grew up with her, I did.

We shared a few more words, each one from Allegra still threatening and Markus sounding blissfully unaware of the bridezilla at his side. I excused myself when I felt my patience start to wear thin, opting not to lose my temper and taking her bait to make a scene. I made my way around the same corner my father disappeared behind, stopping once I saw my parents in the kitchen hastily unwrapping foil wrapped containers filled with different foods.

“Hey, sorry but I’m going to have to run out of here early. I have some errands I need to run so I’ll be ready for my new job tomorrow.” I said once I got my mother’s attention, feigning a look of disappointment to hide how antsy I was to leave.

“Are you serious,” she groaned, “how typical of you. You always have _some_ excuse for why you can’t stay. You must think everyone else is too stupid to notice but-”

“It’s not an excuse. You always said how important it is to make a first impression, what would my coworkers think of me if I show up tomorrow unprepared?” I shot back.

“ _Don’t_ talk back to me. If you aren’t ready then that’s on you.” She glared at me, spitting the words at me under her breath to avoid drawing the attention of the guests.

“Yeah (Y/N),” Allegra popped out of nowhere to stand next to our mother to join in on the ridicule. “you always have had a problem with being respectful. First, you were ignoring everyone with your face stuck in your phone and now you’re bailing before we could even start lunch.”

Screw this.

“Maybe it’s because I’m not all that interested in some party where you try to act all lovey-dovey when we all know that this is what, the third time you’ve gotten engaged? Just for you to throw another one a year down the road. It’s getting _really_ redundant.” I felt a small wave of satisfaction at the look of Mother, mouth slightly agape, and Allegra’s face turning almost as red as her dress.

My sister recovered quickly with an offended huff, “Oh yeah? That’s _rich_ coming from the broad making eyes at my fiancé.”

“Broad, really?” I snickered into the back of my hand. “Why don’t you stop being a bitch and just call me a normal insult?”

“Because I’m not going to stoop to your immature level.”

“Oh, and aren’t you just the _epitome_ of maturity, Allegra? Get off your high horse and stop kidding yourself.” I seethed angrily. It felt like the floodgates had opened, and the uneasiness in me transformed into anger.

“That’s _enough_.” My father finally piped up after watching the argument between us unfold. “I won’t tolerate you bad mouthing your sister at her own party.”

“Y’know what? Then I won’t tolerate this family’s utter bullshit anymore. I never want to see any of your faces again; lose my number.” I knew I had raised my voice a little too much when I saw guests’ faces turn towards us.

A part of me was still flustered at so many people watching me, but I was too busy feeling proud of myself for snapping back. I didn’t say everything I wanted to, and lord knows I’ve dreamed of using better insults on them, but as I stomped through the house and gathered my purse before leaving the house, I felt accomplished. Proud of myself even. I hadn’t let them walk over me this time, and that was a feat all in its own.

I threw my stuff into the passenger seat, closing my car door with a loud thud. My car let out a roar matching the feeling inside me as I peeled away from the curb and down the street. My mind raced, going over the short argument in my head over and over again. Sometimes a feeling of fear crept into the back of my mind when I briefly thought of the repercussions my actions would have, but the heat of my power-trip incinerated the thoughts. I pulled into a random store’s parking lot once I was far away enough from the house to not feel suffocated anymore and called Nia to share the good news.

“You did _what?_ ” She whispered, obviously shocked.

“You heard me, and you should’ve seen their faces; priceless, I’m telling you.”

“God, I wish I could’ve. Seeing narcissists getting their ego shrank is, like, one of my absolute favorite things in the world. But I’m so proud of you (Y/N)! Good on you for putting them in their place. In fact, I think this calls for a celebration.”

“I knew you were gonna say that; you celebrate everything.” I chuckled.

“Life’s too short to do anything else. Anyways, my place. Tonight. Sleepover. Come over at like nine. I got a bunch of stuff I gotta get done but I’ll be ready then.”

“Come on, I start my new job tomorrow remember? Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to, but I shouldn’t.” I turned her down gently, although I was still tempted to say yes.

I heard her groan playfully on the other end, “Fiiiine, I guess you’re right. Being an adult sucks.”

“Gotta agree with you there. Speaking of, I should get going. I need to go buy some stationary for work.”

“Alright, talk to you later. Drive safe!”

“Will do, see ya Nia.”

I hung up, leaning my head back and letting it sink into the head rest with a deep breath. Now that the adrenaline had died down, the little thoughts from earlier about how much I screwed up snapping at my family came back full force. But I couldn’t doubt myself, not this time. I did the right thing. And I would gladly do it again, if not better, if given the chance.


	3. Chapter Three

_Deep breaths, in and out. It's go time._

"Mr. Thomas, is it alright if I just call you Brian?" I asked. Even though I knew fully well that he wouldn't talk, a sliver in me hoped he would pipe up if I prompted him.

No such luck.

"I'm going to take your silence as a yes then." I mumbled. I pulled the satchel off, setting the bag on the table between us. I pulled out pretty much every paper in it, all of them containing information about him.

"First things first, I'm aware of your Selective Mutism. I was wondering if there were any alternative ways you'd wish to communicate. Pen and paper maybe?"

No response. Again, he only stared me down.

For a solid fifteen minutes, neither of us said anything. I wanted to give him some more time to get used to my presence, and although I had little hope that it would suddenly make him speak, I had no idea where to start; so, any idea was a good enough idea. Not like I had much to lose. I took the time to study the conference room. It was bland and not visually stimulating, similar to the rest of what I've seen on this floor. It had a dark gray tiled floor, bordering on being considered black, with tan walls. The LED light bars above us drowned the room in brightness, a contrast to the dim and yellowed lights in the hall. After taking a glance at the time on my phone and realizing that we weren't getting anywhere, I ended the silence.

I sighed, clasping my hands in front of me on the table. "Listen Brian, we can sit here all day doing this. Just sit in a room in complete silence for an hour every day. But you know what happens if we do that? One day, my bosses are going to be fed up with the lack of progress in my reports and I'll be unassigned from your case. Now, I know that might seem like no big deal at first, but in the long run it's going to suck. From what I hear, you're not allowed to go down to the dayroom and be with the other patients. You're forced to sit in your room all day, the only human interaction you get is the few moments that an orderly takes you to the bathroom or cleans your room." I stopped talking, using the silence to let the thought sink in. "I know that can't be all that appealing. Rotting away in a room for the rest of your life.

Finally, his eyes left mine. He stared at his lap while I took another moment of silence. I knew very well that others at this institution and plenty more people during the trial and investigation before that had tirelessly been trying to get him to speak. And I knew that my chances of succeeding in getting him to speak up were slim to none in this one meeting. But that's not what I was trying to do. I was only planting the seed in his mind, then I'd let the reality sink in for him that this would be his life if he didn't cooperate. I didn't want to force him abruptly, I just wanted him to see the reality of the situation.

"I don't want that to happen Brian. I _want_ to help you. And at this point, I'm your last shot at getting some help." I said quietly, but as soon as I did, I could see his face contort into one of face of anger and distrust. His brows furrowed and his nostrils flared. He didn't like that; noted.

"Let's go over what got you here in the first place, hm?" I asked rhetorically, pulling out all the papers in my bag I had about him and shifting through the pages of information until I found what I needed.

"Brian Thomas, you were a gunman in a shooting on Groveland Avenue. Security camera footage from several nearby shops recorded three other figures also participating, but you seemed to do the majority of the damage. You chased a man from several blocks away, and once you caught up with him you shot him with three rounds from your 9mm pistol. The others who were working with you murdered four witnesses nearby." I read from the report. I had scoured over it countless times already, but I wanted him to know that I already knew about his situation.

"Brian, can you look at me please?"

He didn't respond, nor did he lift his gaze from his lap. One might think he was avoiding eye contact because he was embarrassed of his actions, however I was certain that this wasn't the case. His facial features were relaxed, if anything they were still slightly apprehensive over my comment of wanting to help him earlier. No, that wasn't a face of shame. He held no remorse over his actions, his body language proved that. However, noting how intent he was about keeping an eye on me the whole time I was around earlier versus his aversion to acknowledge me now was intriguing. He must have deemed that I was no longer a threat, maybe he assumed he was safe because it would take me a second to get up from my chair and get around the table to charge him.

It was always difficult to try to see things from someone like Brian's perspective. It was one of things I hated doing most in college when learning about psychology. The mind is already full of complexities, but the way minds like Brian's worked were only more complex. But I didn't give up. Sticking to my original theory, that he didn't see me as dangerous for the time being, I decided to test it. I slowly moved my chair back, careful to not catch his attention. I steadied my feet, pressing them flat against the floor, feeling the chilliness of the floor seep through my soles, before shooting up straight. In a blink of an eye, Brian went from being slouched and inattentive to sitting straight up and staring at me once more. I had successfully startled him, but that wouldn't be the end of my little test. I wanted to push it a little further. I slowly sauntered my way around the table, noticing how Brian had completely reverted back to his earlier mannerisms. He didn't let his hazel eyes falter for even a moment, gauging my every move through the strands of coffee-colored hair that had fell into his face. Even when a rapid succession of knocking came from the door, he didn't look away. On the other hand, I had.

"Yes?" I called out.

"Sorry, there's a bit of an emergency. May I come in?" I immediately recognized the soft and hurried voice, it was Sera. I told her she could come in and she hurriedly unlocked and opened the door.

"I'm terribly sorry Dr. (L/N), there's a bit of lockdown for this floor happening at the moment, and we need to evacuate you from this floor." before I could register the new information she delivered, she twisted and yelled down the hall. "David? I need you down here to escort a patient back to his room!" she turned back to face me.

"Wait, what's going on?" I asked, still a little shocked.

"Some inmate attacked an inmate from this floor with a hand-made weapon in the dayroom. He isn't hurt, but's he's completely irate and throwing a tantrum, so they're bring him back to his room here. We need to get Mr. Thomas back to his room and you off the floor."

"I still have at least a half hour left with my patient..." I said quietly, a little under my breath. I didn't want Sera thinking I was upset with her over it.

"I'm really sorry, I'm sure they'll let you reschedule for an extra day to come in this week though to make up for it if you want. You should ask Mrs. Bennett at the front desk; she'll help you reschedule it."

"Thanks, I will. Could you give me a hand rounding these papers up?" I asked, making my way back to my side of the table and opening my satchel up.

"Of course! My coworker David will be down here any second and take the patient." She hurried to my side.

We both rushed to get everything, the sound of rustling pages and small stacks of paper hitting the tabletop to even them filled the room. As we were almost done, a man strode into the room. By his pristine white scrubs, similar to what Sera wore, I assumed he was David. He looked down at Brian for a moment before commanding him to get up in a rather harsh tone. It took me off guard, but I didn't pay it much thought at the moment. But I started to when I saw him grip Brian's upper arm and yank him roughly up while he was in the middle of standing, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the table. He couldn't brace himself or use his hands to break his fall on account to the fact they were still in the manacles.

"Hey-" before I could stop myself, the word slipped out aggressively. All eyes fell on me, Sera stared at me from the side, the David guy barely gave me a glance lasting more than a few seconds, and Brian was watching me through his eyelashes. "David. Could you _please_ manhandle my patient less?" It was a question, but my firm tone made it a command.

The male orderly finally looked at me longer than a second, a little taken aback. "Uh, yeah.. sure." He mumbled gruffly, stopping his yanking, and let Brian get up from the table on his own. He gave Sera and I a curt nod to dismiss himself, leaving the room and taking my patient with him.

"God, he didn't need to be an ass like that." I whispered to myself.

Sera gave me the last papers, "What happened? I didn't see it."

I sighed, flipping the bag flap closed. "He was tugging on Mr. Thomas, and even when he fell into the table he just kept pulling at him like it would help when it obviously wasn't. He had no reason to be treating him like that, he was being cooperative." I slightly rambled, only stopping when I became self-aware that I was talking quickly and running out of breath. "Sorry I just... I can't stand seeing people getting pushed around. From experience, I know how much it sucks."

Sera shook her head with a smile. "No no, you don't have to apologize. I'm happy you can be kinda candid with me. It's nice to have a coworker who just speaks their mind. And to be honest," she trailed, averting her eyes and her smile falling as she bit her bottom lip, "I see a lot of ill-treatment here. It's nice to see someone who actually cares." She quickly said, still keeping her eyes averted. Why did she look...guilty almost? I couldn't believe someone like Sera would bully patients at a mental institution.

"Thanks, just didn't want to cross a line or anything. Could you show me the way out of here?"

Sera returned eye contact, the little smile she seemed to always wear popping back onto her face. "Sure! That's what I'm here for after all."

We left the conference room, and I glanced into Brian's room as we passed. The door was open, and the orderly, David, was unclipping his manacles. Brian immediately tucked himself in the corner of the room where his bed met the walls. Since we were walking by, that's all I was able to see without stopping. Again, that same pungent smell from the bucket in his room wafted into the hall. Sera must've noticed me scrunching my nose at the odor.

"Sorry bout the smell. Mr. Thomas has a problem with food, whenever he eats a meal he gets really sick and throws up. We had to constantly go in there and clean it up, so we eventually just stuck a bucket in there for him."

"Poor thing, is he sick?"

"We don't know. He's been in and out of the infirmary, but his only symptom is vomiting. At first we thought he had an eating disorder, so we kept him on watch. But the orderly watching him during meals said that he wasn't forcing himself to get sick, he just would after like thirty minutes. We're switching up what he's severed to see if it'll help but so far he can't keep much down."

"Hm, he's probably really weak from not having anything down for... how long has this been going on?"

"Roughly two weeks now. We force him to keep hydrated and give him IVs to make up for the nutrients he isn't getting normally. But that's just the solution for the meantime. Our goal is to figure out what normal foods he _can_ eat."

"Gotcha..." I said, so she'd know I was paying attention, but my mind was combing through the new info on my patient.

We reached the retro elevator and got inside. Just as the doors closed, I heard enraged screams from the other side of the floor. The sudden noise caused both Sera and I to jump, I could hear my own heartbeat faintly in my ears after we had gone down a little and couldn't hear the yelling of the irate patient anymore. Sera and I looked at each other, before we both let out a heavy breath at the sync. She laughed, relieved, letting her head fall back on the wall as she leaned against it. I laughed with her out of mild shock, placing a hand on my chest to feel my thumping heart in my ribcage.

By the time the _ding_ chimed over our startled laughter, we had recollected ourselves.

"That woke me up better than any cup of coffee could." Sera giggled, "Anyways, I'll go with you to Mrs. Bennet. I gotta grab something from the front desk."

I nodded and stepped out from the elevator onto the floor. The contrast blew me away again, the smell of coffee and cinnamon hung in the air, something I had missed when I was first here. I could hear the air conditioning humming as it blew refreshing cold air to combat the heat of the summer day outside. Our footsteps were silent as we walked across the scarlet carpet, only making soft _thumps_ again once we stepped off the carpet and onto the dark and polished wood floors. We got to the front desk, and Sera slipped behind it where Mrs. Bennet was, whispering a quick greeting as she looked through the filling cabinet I had also failed to notice was there earlier. Mrs. Bennet looked at me with her gentle smile, asking me if I needed anything.

"Yes actually, I was wondering if I could schedule an additional session with my patient Brian Thomas, considering how we got cut off a bit early today."

"Understandable, I was expecting as such. Let's see here..." She trailed off, moving to her computer and making a series of sounds consisting of the typing from her keyboard and the clicking of her mouse. "You have sessions with him on Mondays and Fridays, correct?"

"Yes, I do." I confirmed, adjusting the strap of my bag when it started to bite into my shoulder irritatingly.

"Gotcha, how does a meeting on Wednesday morning at the same time as usual sound?"

"That would be perfect."

"Great," she clicked a couple more times and typed rapidly for a few seconds before swiveling in her chair to face me again. "We have you all set for this Wednesday at nine AM sharp. It was great meeting you Dr. (L/N), I'll see you on Wednesday."

"Thank you so much and thank you Sera for the help today. I really appreciated it." I thanked both of them, Sera's head snapping up at the sound of her name.

"Of course Doc, it was great meeting you."

I left the institution, a mid-morning summer breeze rolling through the air and blowing my hair around gently. As I walked down the sidewalk leading to the parking lot, I could see the traffic lining on the street. I reached my car; the leather was warm to sit on after the sun was shining on it and the air was stuffy. I threw my bag haphazardly into the passenger seat, cranking up the ac and rolling down the windows a little. The radio was on some indie station, a song about teenage romance playing in the background and I thought over my day.

Something wasn't sitting right with me though. How I wasn't informed about Brian's mystery sickness, the rough handling of him, and judging by how Sera acted it was a normal occurrence, and in general the way Brian seemed so guarded. From constantly watching me defensively, to curling up in the corner of his room to protect himself from seemingly nothing.

Something didn't add up here.


End file.
